Spooling device for drum cables



' July 4, 1933- R. cs. LE TouRNEAu y SPOOLING DEVICE FOR DRUM CABLES Filed July 2T, 1952 INVENTOR R. G. L@ @M12 @au BY Q ...mg msx-S.; V

` ATTORNEY Patented llJuly 4, ,1933

UNITED sfraizas nonnnr e. LE TOUBNEAU,

PATE-NT OFFICE StPOOLING DEVICE FOR DRUM CABLES y Application-Med July 27,

This invention relates to devices for spooling or winding cables onto drums, and particularly-to a device -for use with a fairlead when the drum is mounted on a tractor, as l is now frequently done in various operations.

Without a fairlead the cable will not wind properly on its drum, but tends to pile up or to be unevenly spaced along the drum, as is well known. The usual practice is to place the fairlead twelve inches from the drum for every half inch in width of the drum, and very great friction and wear frequently occurs between the adjacent windings of the cable, especially with a heavy load. v

Such an arrangement can be used however with reasonable satisfaction when the drumis stationary, but it is not vpracticable when the druml is mounted on a tractor which is constantly moving about. W ith such an installation the fairlead to be located in the necessary relative ixed position and at the proper distance from the drum would have to be hung .from a derrick mounted on the tractor itself. This is seldom if ever feasible,

- and the fairlead must therefore be quite close structure so that the direction in which the l cable extends from the drum is immaterial,

andit is thereforeunnecessary to swing the tractor around in order to line upthe cablex with the drum, as must now be done.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly ei'ective for the sheave 6 through the intermediate plate and purpose vfor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

binding. n

The cable passes from the object' being 1932. Serial No. 625,052.

In the drawing similar. characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the structure.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

'Referring now more v"particularly to the characters of reference on the draw' numeral 1 denotes a cable drum whlch is preferably mounted.. in connection wtith a rigid beam 2 on the tractor, and its rotation controlled in the same manner'as shown in my copendi'ng application for patent Serial No. 512,979, filed February 2, 1931; so that 5:

the axis of the drum extends lengthwise of the tractor. As in said application the structure as herein shown contemplates a duplicate arrangement of drums and fairleads, but only one such arrangement is actually shown and described, since each functions independently of the other.

Projecting rearwardly from a rigid ,vertical post 3 mounted on .the beam 2 in vertical alinement with the drumlare vvertically spaced horizontal plates 4.v Disposed between the two upper plates is the housing 5 of a vertical sheave 6, while disposed between the two 4lower plates is the similar housing 7 of a sheave 8. These housings are mounted in connection with the plates 4 for independent turning movement about a common verticalA axis, on roller or other antifriction bearings 9 supported 'by the plates and housings at the top and bottom of the latter, and disposed in a plane centrally between the ends of the drum. The sheaves are disposed in the housings so that a cablel() extending between the adjacent sides of the sheaves is disposed in axial alinement with the axis of the. bearings, so that the housing may turn relative to each 'other without altering the alinement of the cable relative vto the sheaves, or causing .any

hauled under the sheave 8 to and about the roller bearing, and then to the adjacent side of the drum and aboutthe same, as plainlyv dil of its honsing end is so dis osed relative to seid nxiel line es to bring t e outer side oit the slieeve snbstantielly in vvertical nlinernent v ith the corresnonding side of the drum; While the exisl Iline oi? the bearings is preisoine distenee ebend ot" the axis of the drum or on the opposite side of the same from the cable engaging side. By ineens of this arrangement seid' sheeve may svving throngh n relntively lerge nrc, or one correspending to 'he of the drum vvitlnnlty exeessively deviation from a streight path. l

operetion therefore the cable is directed the shenve ti from object being pulled by ineens oi3 the 8, Whieh also is `tree to through e large ere, the location of object reletive to the drnni is therefore inernnterinl, sheeve 't3 being slso' free to string independent ol the shenve d, the side osi the seine from which the ceble pnsses to the drnrn rnoves 'liront end' 'to end of the drum with the spiral Winding ot the ceble thereon end allows end causes said ceble to vrind evenly end Without any binding or excessive friction being developed.

Il am evvnre that nieohanicel cable Winding or follow up devices, operated by rotation of the drum, nre already lrnown end usedl under certain conditions. Such devices however are not practicable for my nse or when there is a heavy pull between the feirlead and drum, as is usually here' the case. With my improved arrangement the particular arrangement oi the fairlead sheaves relative to the drnrn,`and the irictionless mounting of the same. permit them to emciently o crate even with extreme pulls or loads, Without jerking movement oi the sheaves or piling up of the cable being hed. v

From the foregoing description it vvill be readily seen that ll have reduced such a' device es substantially uli ls the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this s ecication sets forth in detail the present an preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as dened b v the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention *what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spooling device for drum cables comprising with a drum, a sheave whose axis is nordsee persllel to thet of the drnm end troni one side oi' which the ceble directly pesses to the adjacent side ci the drum, e housing in which seid sheeve is mounted end e pivot mounting means fior said housing disposed et right engles to the drum centrslly between the ends oi the drnni, end tangent to the periphery ci the sheeve on the side opposite to thnt 'from `which the cnhle leeds to t e drnni.

2, A spooling device lor drum cnbles oomprising with e drum, e, shenve whose axis is parallel to that ot the drinn end from one side ci 'which the oeble directly posses to the adjacent side of the drain, ond ineens pivotnlly mounting seid in tired position relntive to the drum end on the side of the sheeve opposite initielly engnged by the cable end so the-t the shesve iney swing in a plane perallel to the exis oli the drum end lengthwise thereof.

. A spoolingdevice for drum cables coniprising with s drum mounted on e horizontal axis, e sir of vertically spaced shenves venti ined with the drum, separate housings in which seid sheaves are mounted, end

i separate vertical pivot in'ountings for the housingsdisposed in sommen axial eline-v ment tangent to the sheaves on one side oi the same..

l. A spooling device ior drum cables cornprising with a drum mounted on a horizontal axis, a pair of verticlly spaced sheaves vertically alined with the drum, separate housings 1n which said shhaves are mounted, and separate vertical pivot mountings for the housings disposed in common exial alinement tangent to the vsheaves on one side of the same, and in such a position relative to the drum as to dis ose the opposite side oi one of the sheaves 1n substantially the vertical plane of one side of the drum.

5. A spooling device for a drum ceble comprising with a drum, a pair of separate sheaves yWhose axes are in planes parallel to the 4drum axis, said sheaves being diierent distances from the drum, separate housings in which the sheaves are mounted, and separate pivot mountings for the housings disposed in common axial alinement tangent to one side of the sheaves in a plane at right angles to the axis of the drum.

In testimony whereof amx my signature.

ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU. 

